Report: Eidos parent draws more suitors

SCi Entertainment is proving to be nearly as attractive as the star of its biggest series, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Earlier this month, the British parent company of publisher Eidos announced that it was in “extremely preliminary” talks to be acquired. Days later, The Guardian reported that the mystery suitor was French publisher Ubisoft.

Now it appears a potential bidding war is brewing. The Times today reported that two more companies have since expressed an interest in the company. According to the article, those companies are Time Warner and an unnamed Chinese firm. SCi has worked with Time Warner in the past on licensed games such as Justice League Heroes, as well as Tom and Jerry Tales. The media giant also already owns a 10 percent stake in the company.

The Times also addressed the notion that Electronic Arts could be interested in acquiring SCi, but noted that EA’s own significant investment in Ubisoft would complicate the issue between potential bidding rivals. The article also noted that EA CEO John Riccitiello pledged the company’s commitment to investing in the British game industry during a recent visit.

EGM Rumors: Viva Pinata to Wii, No BioShock for PS3, Jet Moto for PS3 revival

The latest issue of EGM denotes a few new rumors. As Viva Pinata is heading to the DS, it is stated that the franchise may well make its way to the Wii too. Moreover, due to the success of BioShock on the PC and Xbox 360, Microsoft has \’snatched\’ the rights to ensure the game series stays exclusive on their platforms and that any extra content planned for the would be PS3 version will now be available as downloadable content on Xbox Live. It is also revealed that Sony are looking to revive Jet Moto for the PS3.

More than enough Halo 3’s in retail channel for one third of global Xbox 360 owners

Goldman Sachs have predicted that Microsoft will have shipped over 4 million units of Halo 3 into the retail channel by the end of the month, these shipments will be big enough to cover a third of Xbox 360 owners worldwide (11.6 million Xbox 360 owners).

CW Cheat v0.1.9 Beta 1 for PSP v3.71 released

Weltall is back already and has released a new build of his cheat application for the PSP following the release of M33/DA\’s custom firmware v3.71. Read more here.

Microsoft slashes prices on 3 XBLA games

Microsoft has confirmed that this week three XBLA titles go on sale. Frogger will drop from 400 to 300 points, Bankshot Billiards 2 will go from 1,200 to 900 points and Hardwood Spades will also receive a 100 point price drop down to 300 points.

The Quest For Glory

What happens when you take the dour attitude and put-upon demeanor of an RPG NPC to the mean streets of … Bath, England? Rock, Paper, Shotgun highlights John Walker’s attempt to get the good citizens of Bath to do a quest for a kindly old wizard. As you can imagine, hilarity ensues. “In this time of rejection, I did learn a few useful things, however. Older people are much less likely to see the funny side of something, even when the safety of the universe is in the balance. Couples are far better at avoiding the magically hindered than individuals. Men with grey beards really don’t like to be called, ‘fellow wizard.’ (Although, their wives are likely to find it funny.) And then, hope was restored in the form of a man in his 40s. His reaction was certainly the most peculiar of the day. He resigned himself to helping me as if he had to. Could this man have been a true adventurer? Someone who is aware of the demands of being a hero? Perhaps his acquiescent attitude was due to the low level of the quest, and the relatively poor reward for a man of such experience. But something about the simplicity of the task, and the accompanying XP, must have been enough.”.

Rockstar confirms no online play for Wii Table Tennis, want to focus on controls

Rockstar has today confirmed that Wii Table Tennis will not include online play. The mode featured on the Xbox 360, but Rockstar explained that it had been withdrawn from the Wii as they are focusing on making the most out of the Wii control system. This is a pretty pathetic exccuse considering the game is just being ported over.

Former Xbox Chief Peter Moore received $22 million worth of EA stock

Now here is an extra reason to be super jealous of former Xbox chief Peter Moore. Not only is the man receiving a high six figure salary, and a $1.5 million bonus but he has also been awarded 400,000 shares in Elecronic Arts which was worth of a transfer of around $22 million. The man himself just started there, lets hope his appointment pays dividends.

Halo 3 has sold more than 1.5 million pre-orders in the US alone

Microsoft has reportedly confirmed that it has sold more than 1.5 million pre-order copies of Halo 3 alone in the US. A Wal-Mart spokesperson commented that demend is way beyond a typical video game release and they are preparing dedicated cash registers so that thousands of gamers can get their copies insantly.

Hungarian gamers break into a warehouse, steal Halo 3 and capture it on video

We think this is pretty sad and disturbing. A group of Hungarian gamers set on breaking into a game storeage warehouse to get their hands on Halo 3 early captured the whole event on video and have uploaded it to Youtube. We\’re not sure what they are seeking whether it be approval or envy, but many people got their hands on Halo 3 without the need to steal…

Microsoft: No plans to include WiFi on Xbox 360 due to cost, you can spend

Microsoft has stated to a UK technology publication that there are no immediate plans to integrate WiFi into the Xbox 360. A spokesperson commented that it is down to cost before going onto suggest that gamers themselves can go out and spend

Saints Row 2 officially canonized

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Projecting its first-quarter financials in May, THQ CFO Edward Zinser stated that revenues would be down, PlayStation 3 port of the 2006 Xbox 360 hit Saints Row had been canceled. In lieu of a PS3 version of the original, THQ CEO Brian Farrell noted that Saints Row creator Volition had shifted its full focus to developing the game’s sequel for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, to release simultaneously next year.

Today, THQ officially confirmed that Saints Row 2–now its official title–would be coming to the PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2008. The publisher also revealed some details on how the protege will attempt to differentiate itself from its inspiration, the Grand Theft Auto series. The distinction might be necessary, since Grand Theft Auto IV’s delay to Spring 2008 might pit it against Saints Row 2.

Saints Row 2 will return to an expanded version of Stilwater, the crime-plagued metropolis which was the original’s locale. However, Volition lead producer Greg Donovan said the game will have a heavier tone than its predecessor. “Saints Row 2 has a much darker and more sinister story that leads your character down a path of betrayal, revenge and redemption against the city that has left him for dead, although we’ve blended that with the same light-hearted humor from the original,” he promised.

Saints Row 2 will also offer a number of new features. Previously mission-based, online two-player co-op will now be extended to the full campaign mode, allowing two virtual gangsters to play through the entire story together. SR2 will also include a somewhat mysterious “open-world competitive multiplayer mode never before seen in the genre.” And as is standard for a sequel, Volition has expanded on many features of the original, including new character customization options and added vehicles, such as motorcycles, boats, helicopters, and planes.

THQ also launched the game’s official Web site today. Saints Row 2 has not yet been rated or priced.

Game Pirate Sentenced To Jail Time

A man charged in a case separate from the much-publicized anti-modder raids last month has been sentenced to ninety days in prison, another nine months of work furlough, and five years of probation. “Police seized over 1,000 pirated game discs during the raid on Brown’s home, along with ‘numerous’ mod chips. Ric Hirsch, Vice-President of Intellectual Property Enforcement at the ESA, said, ‘Sentences that include jail time send a clear message that violating intellectual property rights is a serious crime with significant consequences and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.’”.

Halo 3 Saves Humanity at Midnight (NewsFactor)

NewsFactor - Like any good blockbuster, Monday's midnight release of Halo 3 has been preceded by intense buildup. It's not just a video game release, Microsoft's Peter Moore said in a statement, echoing the sentiment of many fans. "It's the biggest entertainment event of the year."

Microsoft readies "Halo 3" video game for launch (Reuters)

Reuters - Video game aficionados lined up before dawn on Monday for the midnight release of "Halo 3," the acclaimed alien shooter game that Microsoft Corp hopes will widen its lead over Sony Corp in the battle for industry dominance.